Niles Riverfest set to sail

Event scaled back but most traditional activities survive.

Two rafts battle with water in the St. Joseph River in the Anything That Floats raft race at last year's Niles Riverfest. (South Bend Tribune/GREG SWIERCZ)

NILES — The show must go on. And so, too, will Niles Riverfest.

Despite financial difficulties, the event celebrating the St. Joseph River in Niles will take place as scheduled this weekend. It’ll mark the 21st annual Riverfest, but the activity stems from a raft race between taverns that remained afloat for several years before sinking in the 1980s.

Marie Weimer, the wife of Niles City Councilman Bill Weimer and chairwoman of this year’s Riverfest, made reference to the event’s financial problems after the Niles City Council voted against making its usual $2,500 contribution to Riverfest. City donations for such festivals apparently are drawing to a close in the wake of declining state revenue-sharing funding.

Although Weimer said this week she’s hoping to receive a donation to make up for the loss of the city’s contribution, other budget considerations have prompted the committee to scale back the festival. “We’re not having a carnival this year, and that drew a lot of people,’’ she said.

Also eliminated was a “train’’ that previously provided free transportation and a “Mr. and Ms. Riverfest’’ activity staged at the Riverfront Park Amphitheater. With the latter, however, Weimer said other factors contributed to the suspension besides money.

Still, she said the festival’s traditional events such as Saturday afternoon’s “Anything That Floats’’ Raft Race, dragon-boat races at 9 a.m. Saturday and the car-and-truck show (9 a.m. Saturday, with 9 a.m. Sunday the rain date) should appeal to spectators. Also, the usual food vendors will return, she said.

Activities will be kicked off by bands performing in the amphitheater beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday. An “Awakening of the Dragon’’ ceremony will take place at 9 p.m. Friday at the Riverfront Park boat dock and arts and crafts booths will open at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday in the park. Rafts will push off at 2 p.m. Saturday from a city boat launch south of the Broadway Street Bridge and proceed to a landing/launch site on Marmont Street.